Analysts make their entrance on Twitter

2014-08-21

Analysts make their entrance on Twitter

A few months ago we published the post (in Swedish) “Has public companies’ twittering reached a “tipping point”?“. The post presents our annual survey of public companies’ twittering combined with the responses on social media from our financial market survey, where finance professionals shared their view on the companies’ use of social media.

Given that more and more listed companies have active Twitter accounts and the fact that the financial markets are beginning to see the benefits of social media, it looks as if we are reaching a “tipping point.” But progress has been rather slow, partly as an effect of the financial market participants being invisible in social media. That, however, is now about to change.

Nordea Markets tweeted the other day that it has 18 analysts on Twitter. Although this is a way for Nordea to market their social media efforts, it just so happens that once you are active in the social channels it becomes as natural to find and read other peoples information as sharing your own. This is just the necessary dynamics in order for public companies, and their CEOs, to see the new channels as an opportunity rather than a burden for spreading the type of information that builds brand and reputation.

The question now is whether other investment banks will follow suit and what effect that will have on companies’ willingness and desire to communicate more corporate and financial information in social media channels. I for one am even more convinced that we have reached a “tipping point” and that this could be the catalyst that accelerates the use of social media channels by public companies’.